Battlefield video game to be adapted for TV by company behind Mr Robot and True Detective
Paramount TV and Anonymous Content have optioned the rights to a TV series based on the Battlefield videogame series
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Your support makes all the difference.2016 has seen a flurry of videogame adaptions burst onto the big screen, but it appears that they’ll also be coming to the small screen following an announcement that Paramount has bought the rights to make a television series based on the Battlefield games.
The production company behind True Detective and Mr Robot, Anonymous Content, will be working alongside Paramount on the project, with Academy Award winner Michael Sugar and Ashley Zalta taking up executive producer roles.
Since it was launched in 2002, Battlefield has proven to be an enormously successful videogame franchise, taking players from World War Two, to the Vietnam war, to the year 2020, circling back to World War One with this year’s upcoming Battlefield 1 release.
Considering its wide array of time periods and the fact that it doesn't have an established cast of returning characters for players to become attached to, Battlefield might not seem like the most obvious choice for a televised narrative adaption.
However, success that’s not based on player love of specific characters and the wide variety of settings to choose from could give the show’s creators the freedom required to do something interesting and exciting whilst still pleasing fans of the series. Though it could also result in a war programme that's tied to Battlefield in name and little else.
In fact, Amy Powell, president of Paramount TV, said in a statement that "EA’s Battlefield has an incredibly dynamic narrative, coupled with a loyal fan base, which will allow us to bring this exciting and unique property to the small screen."
Michael Sugar added that “Battlefield has a tremendous built-in, engaged fan base, making it a highly coveted piece of IP primed for long-form adaptation. Together with EA and Paramount TV, we’ll develop the Battlefield TV series with the same commitment to robust storytelling that has made the game such a runaway success for nearly fifteen years.”
There aren’t any details just yet on when in the Battlefield timeline the show will be set or if any plans for a cast have been drawn up but if Anonymous Content's previous projects are anything to go by it's likely that the show will aim for a dark and gritty atmosphere with flawed and human characters.
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